At Memphis, Tenn.-based Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, success in 2024 will be measured by 2019 metrics.
The system's President and CEO Michael Ugwueke recently told Becker's that his ultimate goal is to get back to "pre-COVID everything": workforce, volumes and finances.
By identifying opportunities for improvement in these areas — inching them closer to those pre-pandemic levels — the system expects to save close to $125 million, according to Mr. Ugwueke.
That progress begins at the team level. Like many systems, Methodist Le Bonheur is reducing its "extraordinary agency spend," Mr. Ugwueke said. So far, five of its six hospitals have reached their goal of eliminating agency staff on medical surgery units. Many contract workers were brought into an internal agency, while others were converted to float pool staff.
Although bringing agency operations in-house helped to reduce costs, the spend for contract nurses is still high compared to staff nurses, Mr. Ugwueke said. The system is zeroing in on recruitment and retention: Specifically, it aims to reduce first-year turnover by improving its onboarding processes and establishing a "buddy system." New hires are partnered with a more-tenured nurse "buddy" who reaches out to them before their orientation and helps orient them in the system. That relationship — established before the first day on the job — helps new nurses avoid overwhelm, Mr. Ugwueke said.
"You're not frightened, knowing you have a buddy, at least the first day at work, that you can go to and ask questions without feeling like you're being judged," he said.
The health system is also working with a consultant to implement an Epic EHR, which has allowed it to identify about 12 work streams that can be made more efficient: from revenue cycle to length of stay.
And in the emergency room specifically, the system is focused on reducing holds and the number of patients who leave without being seen. On Jan. 28, it transitioned to a new ER physicians group to support this goal.
"For us, the emergency room is still the front door of our system," Mr. Ugwueke said. "So the improvements in that area will definitely help to improve our finances."